The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has welcomed two new members; Leigh Kendall FRSA and Lord Willis of Knaresborough to its Midwifery Panel. The Midwifery Panel was set up in March 2015 and provides the NMC with straight-talking, high level advice on key midwifery issues that affect midwives and mothers across the UK. It also provides a forum to develop strategic thinking on all aspects of the future approach to midwifery regulation.
News Archive
New analysis from Age UK reveals 1 in 3 people with a life-changing diagnosis of dementia don’t get the follow up NHS support they are supposed to. With the number of people living with dementia estimated to hit 1 million by 2020, Age UK is warning of an urgent and growing need to provide much better support for those who have been told they have the condition.
In his latest blog on the National Bereavement Care Pathway, Project Lead at Sands; Marc Harder, reflects on the exciting news that the NBCP is to run in Scotland and looks forward to launching new pilot sites at hospitals across England.
A study conducted by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers suggests that the creation of modified “smart” homes for the elderly could save the NHS and councils £2.5 billion. The study suggests that 78,000 adapted homes will be required during the coming decade, with lead author Dr Helen Meese noting: “Homes built with older people in mind, as well as retrofit technology for existing housing stock, could not only allow people to live in their homes for longer, but also massively reduce costs for the NHS and social care system.”
A new campaign launched by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) aims to reduce patient infection. The campaign focuses on setting out essential Infection Prevention and Control actions which are required from all staff, patients and visitors.
NHS England has begun urging patients with the same long-term conditions to begin attending group GP appointments in order to save doctors time. The scheme would see up to 15 patients take part in 90-minute “shared” consultations. A similar initiative operates in the US, with mixed results, as some patients find it uncomfortable sharing their results with the group so may avoid attending the sessions.
A new NHS England campaign says parents of young children with minor illnesses should take them to pharmacies rather than GPs or A&E but a patients’ group stresses that parents should still see a doctor if they feel this is the right thing to do, especially if their child has a very high temperature that doesn’t go away. NHS England’s Stay Well Pharmacy campaign is urging people to visit their local pharmacist first to help save the service money and free up time for the sickest patients.
A parliamentary research group has published a briefing paper which shows that the NHS has staff from more than 202 different countries. However some media coverage does incorrectly report that foreign nurses are being allowed to sit easier English tests. The NMC have closely aligned the way nurses and midwives who trained in EU and non EU countries evidence their English language competency.
Health chiefs at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) say extraordinary ongoing pressures are the reason for patients sleeping in equipment rooms and in corridors. A spokeswoman for the health board said the situation was being reviewed on a daily basis and added that to continue to maintain personal, safe and dignified care for all patients, a small number of people were accommodated in an identified clinical environment under the supervision of fully trained, experienced staff.
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board (BCUHB) want to improve care for people living with dementia and one way to do this is via a clinical audit. BCUHB are seeking input from the public and will accept suggestions until 30 April 2018. After collecting the feedback the board will draft up an audit plan.
Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services for the Welsh Government; has said Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) had made progress since they were put in special measures in 2015. However he also referred to the mental healthcare service which still requires “urgent” attention. The health board has now been promised extra funding and new troubleshooters to boost performance. A former NHS boss will advise the board on governance, plus a new turnaround director and team will be hired. Mr Gething said the board continued to face “significant challenges” and needed extra support.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) has launched a new campaign to encourage staff to use their Welsh when speaking to patients. The initiative is called: Use Your Welsh and staff are asked to speak in Welsh, even if they only know a few words. It is hoped the campaign will have a positive impact on patient care, especially for Welsh speakers with dementia, and stroke patients.